To: ENG 155 Students
From: Professor Blumberg
Subject: TheDigitelMYR: Audience/Site Analysis & Collaborative Web Post
Due Date: See Weekly Schedule

The following memo outlines the series of tasks related to your next assignment. Working in groups of four, you will complete the following:

• Prepare a formal document that contains an audience analysis AND a website analysis of TheDigitel Myrtle Beach
• Create and post new content OR considerably update/add to existing content on TheDigitel Myrtle Beach website, including rich media (links/photos/video) .
• On the day the group assignment is due, you will conduct a review of your teammates.  This review will be done in class and is not shared among the group.  This is to ensure that all team members took part in the assignment.

PART 1—Analysis: Your memo is to be presented to Dean Blumberg, a supervisor employing your team to conduct  an analysis of TheDigitel Myrtle Beach’s audience AND the website itself.

Before you begin, apply the concepts learned in chapter 2 as you create a shared goal, divide tasks, and determine how to best work as a team.

First, you will gain experience constructing a document using audience analysis techniques (pg 91-101). Review all sections of the website to gather observations and information. Next, develop a detailed audience profile (pg 93-94). Be sure to support your analysis with material/information gained from the website.

Secondly, you will apply concepts in chapters 1, 4, 5 and 6 to analyzing TheDigitel Myrtle Beach’s organization/layout, tone, style and visual design as well as their use of Business Communication 1.0 and 2.0 methods. This part of the analysis asks for you to evaluate the site’s presentation and to describe what is effective and ineffective, as well as what could be revised or enhanced.

Format Note: Instead of writing a single document with one shared voice, feel free to employ a “collage approach,” or one that pieces together different voices and different sections. The collage is also helpful for showcasing the different ideas that may exist about TheDigitel design or its audience among the group.

Additionally, you will need to document the sources that are used to gather any information about your audience.  Documentation need not be scholarly.  Document these sources by simply stating in the introductory paragraph of your audience analysis where you obtained for information. You need not follow a particular institution’s citation guidelines, but I will check the document for plagiarism.

PART 2—Create or Add to www.myrtlebeach.thedigitel.com

After you’ve thoroughly reviewed and analyzed the website, join the Open Community: http://myrtlebeach.thedigitel.com/oc.

Although you’ve probably come to understand the site’s writing tone, style and purpose, review the writing style guide, which provides detailed instructions about how to create, document and use media “TheDigitel way.” Following the posting guidelines is extremely important, not only for uniformity and clarity’s sake, but for ethical and legal reasons as well.

Your group is responsible for one significant contribution whether it is a new post or an update to an existing post. Although anything relevant to the Myrtle Beach and surrounding area is relevant, I’ll provide groups with some local events/topics that may make good posts. You can find these topics on the class Wiki under a page titled “Group Project #1.”

EVALUATION

Format Requirements: Memo format required for this assignment (see Figure 1.10 p. 26 in your text). Purpose of memo and sources (if any used) must be clearly stated in first paragraph.  Document must be typed. One document per group will be turned in with all team member names listed on the “From” line.

Rubric: This assignment is worth 100 total points.

_____  40                    Memo Content.  Information is clearly expressed in paragraphs and is relevant to audience analysis requirements.

_____   10                     Memo format/Visual Appeal.

_____   10                     Memo is free of major errors in GSP.

_____   30                   Post to TheDigitel Myrtle Beach is relevant and adheres to the site’s principles and guidelines (see writing style guide).

_____   10                   Self-review done in class.  Here you will demonstrate how you contributed to the completion of the assignment and assess your team members.